Topic: migrate Apache Tomcat from server 2008 r2 to new server 2012

[jimleslie77]

Hello And thank in advance,

would anybody know of the steps to take to move a working apache tomcat 7 web site from a 32bit windows server 2008 r2, to a new (not upgrade path) 64bt windows server 2012 installa.

Jim

[tangent]

Hmm, I doubt you can just 'move' your Tomcat application from 32 bit server 2008, to 64 bit server 2012.

Firstly, you don't say if your users connect directly to Tomcat running as a web server, or if you are using an instance of Apache to provide the front end, and proxy to your Tomcat using mod_jk. From a security and flexibility perspective, I'd hope it's the latter, which is what I'd recommend as a 'migrate' path.

Secondly, does your tomcat application run under a 32 bit or 64 bit JVM? Well behaved applications should cope with both, but I have met some that are 32 bit specific. Either way, you'll need to review your JVM options and test.

My recommendation would be to set up Tomcat to run on your 2012 server as required (32 or 64 bit), and configure it to listen only on the loopback interface to prevent any direct remote connections. Next, setup up a 64 bit instance of Apache on your 2012 server, with appropriate frontend security, and proxy to the Tomcat on the loopback interface on the appropriate port. I'd use binary AJP (port 8009) via the Apache mod_jk module, otherwise HTTP proxy.

Using a separate instance of Apache gives you far more flexibility to decouple the application from the web front end services. You can put up service maintenance pages, revise the web front end security, logging, etc.

Using this approach means you can prepare and test the revised environment, and then migrate the live service (via a DNS update?) when ready.

[jimleslie77]

Thanks for the info Tangent.

I think (appologies im no where near a Tomcat expert) I cant see any MOD_JK file anywhere on the server in question, so i believe usere will be connecting directly to a web page/site hosted directly on tomcat.

Our application is current running on a 32bit os, so therefore will be using a 32bit version of java (currently JRE7).

is there a backup/restore process from within tomcat that can be used to backup the current web config and restore on the new server?

[tangent]

As you've described it, it appears you probably don't have an instance of Apache web server in front of your Tomcat application server, and despite the name, Apache Tomcat is a completely separate product to Apache Web Server.

Since this site is primarily an Apache Web Server forum, not Apache Tomcat or Middleware in general, I reckon the moderators won't appreciate a lengthy discussion over the issues of migrating Tomcat applications from one platform to another, or putting robust web proxy services in front of them.

Assuming you've got documentation that describes how your application server has been installed and configured, along with how your applications are deployed on Tomcat, WAR files, serverl.xml settings, database connections, etc. then that has to be your starting point for creating a duplicate environment on server 2012. There is no native backup / restore feature in Tomcat per se, but Tomcat is very easy to install, and you should be able to redeploy your application on a new instance with little difficulty.

You don't say how big your system is, but I'm guessing it's a small setup internal to a company, and not Internet facing. Either way, if you've been tasked to migrate this application to Server 2012, then you're entering the realms of Middleware support, and have got quite a steep but rewarding learning curve in front of you.

[James Blond]

I think tangents' idea is the correct way. Set up a parallel installation and deploy your code. Once checked it is running you can change the DNS or give users the new IP.

[jimleslie77]

we dont use apache web server ibn front of tomcat app server. we use IIS for web services

[James Blond]

I meant install a parallel tomcat instance

[ApacheAttackHelicopter]

It would be great for a conclusion to this one / advice tips.

I am having a play around this (later than 2012 R2, even out to 2016 / 2019) and I am happy to give you the journey I go on without any sensitive bits.